Tag: Clon Brulee

Windsor Preview – Monday 11th May

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Windsor on a Monday night is always popular with punters and there is a typically competitive card this evening. The feature race is the Royal Windsor Stakes at 7.20 with Shifting Power expected to start a short-priced favourite.

This race is something of a conundrum with none of the seven runners ideally suited by the good to fast ground. Shifting Power certainly has the best form on his Irish 2000 Guineas run behind Kingman in soft ground and he was fourth in the Newmarket classic on good ground. He produced his best run in very testing ground in France and he did seem to carry his head awkwardly at Sandown last time.

Clon Brulee really needs a mile and a quarter while Baltic Knight is fitted with blinkers for the first time. I like Intransigent but he’s never won over a mile or at this time of year. By process of elimination, I’m going for Complicit who has been running well on the all-weather. Tom Queally tried to steal a march on Tryster in the all-weather championships but was just run out of it in the final stages.

The two-year-old picture takes a while to settle down and experience counts for a lot in these early races. Alaskan Phantom ran well over course and distance on his debut for Daniel Kubler and could be worth a bet at around 9-2. The obvious dangers are the unraced Bournemouth Belle and Tears In My Eyes, from the yards of Richard Hannon and Jeremy Noseda respectively.

Ryan Moore seldom leaves Windsor without a winner and he should score on Genres in the 6.20. He made a very pleasing debut when just beaten by Exosphere having headed that horse inside the final furlong. John Gosden’s colt only needs to find normal improvement to get off the mark here. The main threat could come from Andrew Balding’s Scarlet Minstrel.

The 6.50 is a trappy handicap with only five remaining runners. You can make a case for each of them but I just prefer the claims of top weight Subcontinent. He put up a gutsy display to win at Doncaster last time out and has only been raised 3lbs. Shadow Rock ran well for a long way at Salisbury and could pose a bigger threat than the favourite Quick Defence.

Alaskan Phantom 5.50 @9-2 William Hill

Genres 6.20 @5-6 Ladbrokes

Subcontinent 6.50 @3-1 Boylesports

Complicit 7.20 @5-1 Bet365

Doncaster Wednesday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Take Note (8-1) was one of three winners at Leicester on Tuesday for Betcirca followers, extending our winning sequence to six consecutive days on UK racing. Wednesday sees the start of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster and we have selections in the first five races on the card.

Having cashed in on Hugo Palmer’s Only Joking when she bolted up by eight lengths in a Thirsk maiden, I simply have to follow her on her handicap debut in the 2.00 race. She was very impressive that day and Palmer has picked up two Group 3 races with his two-year-olds in recent weeks. With William Buick booked for the ride, she is going to be difficult to beat off 8st 7lb. The likely danger is Richard Hannon’s When Will It End who has twice been beaten by Mark Johnston’s useful Grigolo.

I was sorely tempted to go for Markaz in the 2.30 race after the grey ran such a good race at Goodwood last time. However, the form has been let down repeatedly and he looks to have a stiff task on these terms against Angelic Lord. Tom Dascombe’s colt has been racing in top company and ran on dourly behind Ivawood at Newmarket. He was alongside a smart colt in Belardo at the line and a repeat of that run would be good enough.

The Scarborough Stakes at 3.00 looks like an ideal opportunity for Godolphin to start getting some of their money back for the purchase of Reckless Abandon. He was held back by niggling injuries last season but looked to be returning to his best when a close third to Tropics at Newmarket. I liked the way he battled all the way to the line that day and it will be disappointing if he cannot beat a field largely consisting of handicappers. Mecca’s Angel could be the main threat but she really wants a bit more give in the ground than seems likely.

I would not normally get involved in the Legends race but Michael Hills stands out like a sore thumb on Dansili Dutch. He has not long hung up his riding boots and is riding a filly in form with a perfect draw. David O’Meara is also enjoying a good run so it will be disappointing if the grey does not do the business here.

Finally, I was about to start counting my winnings on Clon Brulee at Sandown last week when he cruised to the front. Unfortunately the weight told in the closing stages and he was reeled in by a couple of lightweights. Ryan Moore will be tracking Godolphin’s second-string Cap O’Rushes and aiming to deliver a decisive late challenge here. I am a big fan of Nabucco but, like Mecca’s Angel, he really wants it softer.

Only Joking 2.00 @3-1 Paddy Power

Angelic Lord 2.30 @5-4 Ladbrokes

Reckless Abandon 3.00 @5-2 William Hill

Dansili Dutch 3.35 @6-1 Paddy Power

Clon Brulee 4.10 @2-1 Bet365

York Magnet Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

York’s Magnet Cup is always a great betting race and Saturday’s race has attracted a massive 42 declarations at the confirmation stage. There are some rapidly improving types amongst them and the two that stand out for me are Niceofyoutotellme and Nabucco, first and second at Newmarket last month.

John Gosden’s Nabucco did this column a favour when landing a handicap at the same venue but has incurred a 5lb penalty. That theoretically gives him a lot to do with Niceofyoutotellme, being 3lbs worse off with the horse that beat him a length.

As far as I am aware, both horses have been given the green light for the race and there are no major concerns about the fast ground. Ralph Beckett’s horse first caught my eye when finishing like a train to win on the all-weather and he produced a fine turn of foot to cut down Nabucco last time. The runner-up won nicely under a canny ride from Ryan Moore subsequently and could still be improving.

The draw has come to the rescue of the bookies on several occasions recently and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that these two smart horses are not given an impossible task. Ladbrokes are best on both horses and I expect both to shorten up.

The early favourite is Stencive, trained by William Haggas and ridden by the in-form Graham Lee. He was heavily backed when second to Opinion at Royal Ascot last month. I expressed reservations about the quality of that particular Ascot race last week and it was no real surprise that Opinion could not lump 9st 10lb to victory in the Old Newton Cup. Having said that, he ran creditably in a muddling sort of race and Stencive did give him too much rope at Ascot.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Rye House is a horse that I have been keen to follow since he bolted up at York earlier in the season but he has missed a number of engagements since. In fact, he was Moore’s intended mount at Ascot before switching to Opinion. I think his problem may be the ground as he does hit the ground quite hard. I’m guessing that Sir Michael is waiting for a bit of cut in the ground before risking him and I don’t see that happening this weekend.

Another progressive sort is Clon Brulee who absolutely hacked up at Ripon before following up in the Zetland Gold Cup. If he gets a favourable draw he could well prove a danger and he has the right profile for this race.

David Simcock’s Whispering Warrior keeps on winning and has gone up over two stone in the handicap this season. His only recent blemish came at Newmarket when he was baulked early on and could never get competitive. He looks like one of those horses who keeps a bit to himself in the closing stages and is another to consider in a fascinating contest.

For the moment, I shall pin my colours to the Newmarket form and hope that the declarations and draw are favourable.

Niceofyoutotellme 12-1 Ladbrokes
Nabucco 16-1 Ladbrokes